Dallas Wings hire USF's Jose Fernandez as head coach

FORT WORTH, TX - MARCH 10: Head coach Jose Fernandez of the South Florida Bulls calls a play as South Florida plays the UCF Knights during the second half the American Athletic Conference Womens Basketball Championship game at Dickies Arena on March

The Dallas Wings have hired Jose Fernandez as the team’s next head coach.

What we know:

Fernandez comes to Dallas with 35 years of coaching experience. He’s been the head coach for women’s basketball at the University of South Florida for the past 25 years.

During that time, he’s earned nearly 500 career wins and guided more than 100 players into professional basketball careers. Seven of Fernandez’ players have been selected in the WNBA Draft. 

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What they're saying:

"Jose is one of the most respected veteran coaches in women’s basketball," said Dallas Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller. "He is a proven winner and has built sustained success for over two decades at USF. Jose consistently produces professional players and is regarded as an excellent developer of talent. His colleagues from across the country constantly credit his teams for their preparation and grit, while continuously raising the bar for success on the court. He is known for putting his players in a position to succeed. Lastly, as the game and WNBA continue to become global, no coach in this country has recruited and successfully coached international players better than Jose. I can’t wait to partner with Jose and support his vision for our Dallas Wings."

"We will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence, approaching everything we do with elite standards and a championship mindset. I couldn’t be more excited to serve as your Head Coach and will work tirelessly to lead this organization to a level of success that both the Wings and the DFW community can be proud of," Fernandez said.

What's next:

The team will officially introduce Fernandez in Dallas on Nov. 6.

The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release from the Dallas Wings.

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